Umbrella-rib-tip retainer



F. C. ERNST.

UMBRELLA BIB TIP RETAINER.

APPLICATION FILED MAY 4, 1920.

1 ,405,402. Patented Feb. 7, 1922.

Y 21 20 gi 2,5

ATTORNEY UNITED! STATES ATENroFicE.

l 'rnrnnitrcrr c. ERNST, or NEW Yoan, N. AY.

UMBRELLA- nIn-TIP RETarNnn'.

To all lwhom z'tvmay concern.' Be it known that I, FRIEDRICH C. ERNST, a citizen ofthe United States, and a resident ot' New York, in the county of Kings and State of NewYork, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Umbrella-Rib-Tip Retainers, of which the following is'aspecitication. l

The present'invention relates to umbrella rib-tip retainers, or in other words to means for holding Athe freeends of the ribs in position when the umbrella is closed. rILhe invention pertains more particularly to that class of rib-tip retainers which is described in U. S. Letters Patent No. 1,144,182, Granted to me on June 22, 1.915. In this etters Patent a device is described, comprising a sleeve having a longitudinal slot and two depressions at points diametrically opposite the said slot, one of said depressions being disposed near to the lower end and the other one near to the upper end of said sleeve. Upon the said sleeve is slidably disposed a cup having a cylindrical portion provided with a rib seated insaid slot,v

whereby said cup is prevented from rotating in relation to said sleeve. The cylindrical portion of said Cup has furthermore a projection adapted to enter the depressions in said sleeve, whereby said cup is held locked both in its upper and lower positions.

The main object of the present invention is to improve the device described in the said Letters Patent, mainly by simplifying the construction of both the sleeve and cup, thereby rendering the device Vcapable of manufacture on a commercial scale, that is Yto say making it so convenient to produce so that it can be sold at a reasonable cost.

With these and other objects in view, which will more'fully appear as the nature of the Vinvention is better understood, the same consists in the combination, arrange- Vment and construction of parts hereinafter described, pointedV out in the appended claim and illustrated in the accompanying drawings, it being understood that many changes maybe made in the size and pro- .portion of the several Vparts and details of 'construction within the scope of the appended claim without departlng from the spirit or sacrificing any of the advantages of the invention.

One of the many possible embodiments of specicauonf Letters Patent. Application :filed May 4, 1920. Serial No. ,378,8 `54.

ratentedreb'r, 1922.

the invention isVv illustrated in the accompany1ngdraw1ngs,1n which:'-

Figure 1 is an elevation of an umbre-lla l l handle and part of the umbrella having l the invention appliedthereto; Figs. 2 to 4, inclusive, are sectionsy taken, in their'jorder', on lines 2-2, 3 3 and%4 o'Fig. 1, on a larger scalegFig` is aperspective view, on

a larger scale, of Va sleeve forming one of i the' elements ofthe retainer; and Fig. 6 is a transverse section f-taken through 4'a portion of a cup forming the other element of the l retainer. Y

In the drawings, the numerallO indicates an umbrella stick, to which is attached a handle 11 of any suitable shape. The inner end of this handle has a reduced portion 12, e

an enlargement 17 adjacent the other end thereof.

On the sleeve is slidably disposed a retaining cup 18, having a cylindrical portion 19, on the inner face of which is forme-d a longitudinal rib 2 0, said rib being shorter than and-seated in the slot 15. This rib is provided at its middle portion with sidewardly .l

extending projections v21, that are adapted to enter either one of the enlargements of the slot 15.

The operation of this device is as follows The sliding motion of the cup upon thesleeve is limited by the rib 20 and slot 15 co-operating therewith. When the edge 20 of the rib 20 abuts against the end edge 15 ofthe slot 15, the projections 2l are seated inthe enlargement 16 of the said slot, and, when the edge 20"of the rib abuts against the end edge 15" of the slot, the projections 21 are seated in the enlargement 17 of the slot. In both cases,7the cup will be firmly held inthese extreme positions, the cup being made of thin sheet metal and being thus somewhat resilient, sov that the projections 21 thereon will spring in place when they are brought into registering position with either one of the enlargements of the slot in the sleeve. At the same time, some force will be required to unseat the projections 2l from the enlargements of the slot, so that vthe cup is firmly held against accidental or unintentional operation. lThe eoacting rib 2O and slot 15 of the cup and in the sleeve, respectively, prevent a turning,` movement of the said cup relative to the sleeve.

When the parts are in the positions shown in Fig. 1 of the drawings and it is intended to open the umbrella, the cup is slid away from the tips, whereby its projections 2l are unseated from the enlargement 16 of the slot in the sleeve and seated in enlargement 17 therein. The umbrella can then be opened in the usual manner, inasmuch as the cup does not engage with the rib-tips. Then the umbrella is closed and it is intended to keep it in closed position, the cupis slid toward the tips, whereby its projections 21 are seated in the slot. enlargement 16.

From the foregoing it appears that the rib 20 and its projections 21 on the cup 18, in (5o-operation With the slot 15 in the sleeve7 prevent a rotation and limit the sliding,-

movement of the cup upon the sleeve, and

also hold the cup` in either one of its extreme positions.

What I claim is An umbrella rib-tip retainer, comprising a Sleeve having a longitudinal slot provided with enlargements adjacent its ends, and a cup having a Cylindrical poirtioai slidably disposed upon said sleeve, said cylindrical portion having` a rib seated in said slot whereby said cup is prevented from rotation in relation to said sleeve, the-middlepor? tion of said rib; being' provided with sidewardly extending projections adapted to enter the enlargements of said slot, Whereby said Cup is held locked in both of lits eX- treme positions.

Signed at New York, in the county of Kings, and State of New York,this 3rd day of May, A. D. 1919.

FRIEDRICH C. ERNST.` 

